UCL GBSH Student of the Week: Prashant Patel

I am a Consultant Urological Surgeon and Clinical Director of Urology with extensive experience in delivering complex cancer surgery and leading service transformation across the NHS. Over the course of my career, I have held multiple leadership roles, from centralising complex pelvic surgery to overseeing governance, service delivery, and health informatics projects. Alongside this, I have contributed to academic medicine through novel research in gene therapy, clinical trials, publications, and education, while also engaging with international healthcare systems and innovations.

My decision to pursue the UCL Executive MBA in Health was driven by a desire to complement my clinical and leadership experience with formal management training. Prior to starting the programme, I had undertaken significant responsibilities in service planning, business case development, and crisis response, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, but I recognised the value of equipping myself with the advanced knowledge, tools, and networks needed to drive sustainable change in healthcare.

The Executive MBA has been an enriching and transformative journey. I particularly valued the leadership, strategy, and finance modules, which sharpened my ability to analyse complex organisational challenges and to create solutions that are both innovative and evidence-based. The collaborative nature of the MBA cohort, bringing together diverse perspectives from healthcare, industry, and policy, was equally impactful — providing an invaluable platform for exchanging ideas and building lasting networks.

One of the highlights of the programme was the hospital finance and strategy simulation, where I worked in teams with my cohort to run a virtual hospital in competition with other groups. This realistic exercise provided hands-on experience in balancing budgets, allocating resources, and making strategic trade-offs in a complex healthcare environment. The simulated exercise was far more immersive than I could have imagined. It brought theory to life and tested our decision-making under pressure, closely mirroring the challenges faced by leaders in real-world healthcare systems.

Another defining experience was my consultancy project with BUPA Global, which focused on optimising cancer claims. This gave me the opportunity to apply MBA frameworks and analysis to a live, high-impact business challenge within the insurance sector. By combining clinical insight with strategic and financial evaluation, our work highlighted opportunities for efficiency, better patient engagement, and improved claims processes involving AI integration. It was an invaluable chance to see how my expertise could contribute beyond the NHS, influencing global healthcare delivery models.

This learning has already had a direct impact on my career. The insights gained through the programme contributed to my successful appointment as a Clinical Director (Urology) at University College London Hospitals, where I now help to shape strategy and service delivery at one of the UK’s leading academic health centres. Looking ahead, I intend to continue applying the skills and perspectives developed during the EMBA to drive improvements in healthcare delivery, digital transformation, and workforce planning within the NHS and beyond.

Completing the UCL Executive MBA has been both a privilege and a defining milestone in my professional journey. It has deepened my commitment to patient-centred care, strengthened my leadership capabilities, and given me the confidence and frameworks to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing health systems today.